Crystal Love
by manveri mirkiel
Summary: When what was closest to Holly is taken away, she falls into a state of depression... Until someone comes. Will she let him take the empty space in her heart? Maybe... But...rnread first chapter before you do anything! ON HIATUS
1. Introduction

BEFORE YOU START FLAMING ME FOR COPYING STORY AND BLAH BLAH ETC ETC. read this:

yah, i know there is another artemis fowl story also named crystal love. its the same.

my old account: manveri[reachforthesky]estel went bonkers or something, counldnt access, they kept saying it was inactive. so couldnt post any new chapters and all.

and since im not giving this story up, here i am, reposting it. arent i nice? haha. yah, so all those who reviewed before, please review again!!! thank you thank you thank you!!! i am forever in your debt. grin

and here's a big SORRY! to all those stories from which my reviews disappeared from.

anyway, thankew for listening to my looooooooooooooong ranting. here's the first chapter, also known as the prologue. have fun!

* * *

Prologue

Holly Short hummed merrily as she packed her bags. She was going on a holiday to France with her parents. This trip would be special, partly because she hardly had any time off, and partly because this would be the first time she had seen both her parents in 2 years.

Her parents.

Holly smiled. She could see her mother's flaming red hair, with searching, yet kind green eyes; she could remember the way she always smelt of lavender and butter. Her bright and cheerful personality, the way she always seemed to be bubbling with joy.

And her father, the complete opposite. Brown hair, warm hazel eyes; withdrawn, shy. He was always willing to help in any way he could render his service. [A/N: yes, I know that Holly's father died when she (Holly) was 60 or something. But I have to change it to make the plot work.]

The people often wondered how the two of them had ended up together. To them, it was a miracle (or mystery) that two such opposites could end up together. But Holly knew why. She knew what it was; that mysterious link that kept her parents apart for so many years, though thick and thin; so far apart, yet so close.

It was love.

Love.

The wonderful chemistry which Holly longed for.

Not that she lacked love, no.

The love of friends, of family; she had an abundance of it, from her parents, her colleagues, Foaly, and recently, (surprisingly too) from Artemis Fowl, the mud boy. [A/N: I'm pretending that they decided not to brainwash Artemis. I didn't like that part anyway. Hm.]

But still, there was an empty part inside of her.

_A part that would soon feel emptier still. _

Holly loved both of her parents.

So much.

_So much. _

They had hardly been there with her in person, but their constant letters and phone calls kept them close.

Close to her heart.

_Their parting was going to hurt. _

One of them would be gone again.

_But this time, it would be forever. _

* * *

mooha. first chapter donee!!!! please review!!! thankewthankewthankew!!! haha.


	2. Nightmares

Nightmares 

Sooooo sorry took so long to post this chap. homework and tests have me loaded. so hadn't had any time. but trying to post asap. but will still give time in between to get reviews. XD im a review maniac. haha.

and for those who want to know, yes this IS a romance fic, but its also very angsty, and romance only appears later on. so patience!!! haha...

Yes, i know i forgot to put disclaimers in my first post. so, here goes!disclaimer:  
i own nobody. all of the characters belong to eoin colfer!! oh, except for my two OCs. only one oc is mentioned in this chap. the other one appears later on. but both are important in the story...

ok, so now, review answers!!! i have SEVEN reviews!!! yay! many thanks to my classmate Asha Ice and my ex-classmate Black-eagle77777 for reviewing! and for Holly Rox for being the first reviewer and for reviewing!

Holly Rox: thanks for reviewing again!! i love your stories... just havent had the time to review all of them... haha posting! hm. i'll go check my settings. and yeah, you reviewed every chapter before!!! and for that i thank you. yay! keep reviewing!!!  
  
Iced Artemis: yay thanks for waiting and looking for my story!!! i'll be posting whenever i have time, so thanks for being so patient!!  
  
Asha Ice: haha.... the first time this was posted the italics thing wasnt up on fanfic so all the italics disappeared when i posted it. but with italics there's impact, non? lolx. and dearrie, you're deluded. legolas belongs to ME!! mwahaha! and thanks for the cds dear!

SageElvenWarrior: hey i like your name... cool... and yeah, gonna continue this story and finish it!!! so dont worry about me continuing to write... i WILL! just might take loooooong time to post... haha.

Ahava: whee! thanks!! haha continue reading and reviewing k? thankew!!!!

TrunkZy: oh, yes, i know holly's dad died, have a VERY good artemis fowl friend... who would NEVER forgive me if i made a mistake in my fanfic. but changing it a bit to make the story nicer... hope you dun mind and keep reviewing! oops. must have been a mixup. sry! down with artemis mind wipe!! haha. and yah, i have a sort of plot. i've already planned out til chap 16... just havent written that much yet.... haha... and yeah, this story was originally a romance, but it turned out to be very angsty, so changed it to angsty and romance. and SOOOOO glad you like it!!! keep reviewing!!!

Black-eagle77777: hey didnt know you had an account... mwaha you review at last... haha glad you like it!!! continue reading and reviewing kk?? yay!

ahh. reviews donee!!! haha. more reviews please people!!! thankew!! anyway, here's my next chapter, enjoy!!

On with the story...

* * *

'How have you been doing lately, Holly dear?' That was her father, with his clear, soft voice.

'Yes, yes, tell us all about your missions!' Her mother, now, rich voice ringing, like crystal bells in the faint breeze.

_Relaxed. _

'Didn't you get my letters? I told you all about them...' Holly's own voice this time; light, with just a hint of laughter.

'Yes, but it's so much nicer hearing it from my daughter!'

_Smiles._

'Ok then...'

_Familiar smells. _

'... Artemis Fowl... '

_Cinnamon._

'... Root... '

_Lavender._

'... Artic Circle...'

_Cigar smoke. _

'... Eternity Code...'

_Something else._

'... mind wipe... '

_Something familiar._

'What's the matter, dear?'

_Too familiar. _

'Why are we stopping?'

_Important._

'Holly?'

_Too comfortable. Too relaxed. _

'Are you ok?'

_Remembrance._

'Holly? Holly?'

_**DANGER. **_

'MOVE! ' A/N: for those who got confused, this is Holly.

_A sickening sound. _

_Too late. _

_The silver point of a dagger. In her mother_.

'NO!'

'It's too late, Holly. Too late...'

_Blood. It started swirling, forming a crimson whirlpool, sucking her in, submerging her, choking her._

_Red. _

_Red._

_Then, black. _

'NO!' Holly sat up in her bed with a shriek. Rivers of tears flowed freely from her face and she was drenched with sweat. With a loud cry, she flung herself facedown on the pillow, sobbing.

'Holly?' Warm arms pulled her up. 'Was it the nightmare again?'

It was Pari. Always there for her.

Holly held Pari tightly, sobbing into her shoulder, feeling the warmth of her friend's arms. Never letting go. She never wanted to let go.

Pari's POV

Pari hugged Holly tightly, rocking her best friend in her arms. Holly's scream had awoken her from the room next door. The third scream for that week.

It had been a year and a half since Holly's mother had been murdered. She had thought that Holly had gotten over it. For the past month, though, she had been awakened in the middle of the night by Holly's frantic screams and sobs. Holly was being haunted by a memory of the past.

Holly's cries were heart-wrenching. But Pari could do nothing to help her. She felt so helpless. So helpless.

There and then, Pari vowed to protect her friend from her fears. And if it were necessary, from herself.

Holly's POV

How? How had it become like this? Why was she here, once again in pieces, crying?

The supposedly invincible Holly Short, who had survived trolls and radiation, kleptomaniac dwarfs and evil genius's.

In her head, the scene of the ancient knife buried hilt-deep in her mother's back replayed again and again.

And that voice. The voice that had announced her mother's death. The person who ran away. "It's too late, Holly, too late..."

Holly shivered; even the memory of the voice still sent shivers up and down her spine. She hardened herself. _You may have hit me hard_, she silently said, _but I'll get up again. And then, I'll hit you so hard, you'll stay down forever...___

* * *

so did you like it??? jumps up and down I know the part with the nightmare is a bit confusing... . oh, and I hope you like the name Pari... it means fairy in Persian... so I thought it rather fitting. Besides, it sounds nice.

Anyway, now that you've read it, bring your mouse down to the little blue/purplish square-like button at the bottom and click!!! Review!!! haha.


	3. Tell Me

hey hey... see im updating quickly!!! Haha... I should be updating more frequently now... at least once per week, hopefully. Oh, and I changed my settings, so now anonymous reviews are accepted as well. So, now you all can review!!! grin

review answers:

TrunkZy: waha. Dun worry, im crazy too!!! Haha... and my dear friend Asha Ice is also a bit nuts. For one, she thinks legolas belongs to her, when he's so obviously MINE. she's SO gonna kill me. Mwaha. anyway, yeah! Keep reviewing!! Haha no not from Persia, me ish a singaporean. From ze little red dot on the map. Mwaha.

Laiqualaurelote: yes, dear, I will give you your 11 reviews... Friday, k? patience is a virtue... haha... and yes, livvy is SO understanding!!! acting zeggy-like and NO MORE FRENCH REVOLUTION PLEEEEEEEEEEASE. Ok maybe one more song. Red! The blood of angry men! Black! The dark of ages past! Mwaha. And yes, my dear laiqualaurelote is right. I cannot afford to make a mistake in my fic or she'll slaughter me... and she's already slaughtered another of my fic ideas. Hai. Oh well. And not squishy. hisses

Yuffie Paine: hey cute name!!! Yuffie sounds fluffy, for some reason. I meant that as a compliment. Uh huh. And glad to hear you have faith in me!!! And SOO HAPPY to hear that you like it, keep reviewing!!!

Blackeagle77777: waha patience, da kor. grin dun kill me and I forgot what analogy is. Aren't I evil? Yes. Hmm... really forgot. Eek. Yeah italics forever!!! I love my italics! keep reviewing!!!

Yup that's all! How can that be? ONLY 4 REVIEWERS??!! Im so maadd. hiss throws cereal at non-reviewers REVIEWW!!!

Ok fine. That was crazy. Haha. Here's chapter 3!!!

Root's POV

Commander Root walked briskly down the corridor to his office, al the while observing the sprites around him.

'Tuck in your shirt, Shroom!'

'Gerald! I need those papers by 2!'

Suddenly a speeding sprite whisked past Root, nearly tripping him.

'NELSON!' Root yelled, red in the face. A young sprite returned to Root, grinning nervously.

'What did I say about speeding in the hallways? You could not only endanger others, but yourself. And what would we do then? One sprite can be crucial to the rest of the team. CRUCIAL I say! This has gone on long enough. You and I are going to have a little chat later. Meet me in ...'

Root's voice trailed off. A lone elf drifted A/N: as in walking drifting, not flying drifting. among the sprites. It was Holly Short. He needed to talk to her desperately...

'Sir?'

Oh yes, the sprite. Root looked down sternly. 'Meet me at 5pm in room... 10. Now go along and stop speeding!'

Root looked up and scanned the hallway. Great. Holly was gone. Sighing wearily, Root trudged to his office, his thoughts fully occupied.

The bright and energetic elf, serious at times, humorous. That Holly from 2 years ago was but a distant memory. The present Holly was but a shadow of her old self. The cheerful energy had all gone into her work, and she worked non-stop, taking joy in nothing.

Everyone was concerned, and Root was no exception. However, he was more worried about her recently. Holly had been showing up for work listless, red-eyed and tired, like she hadn't slept at all. If this went on, Root feared that Holly's grief would kill her.

Root reached his office and leaned over to make a note in his daily planner.

'Nelson... 5pm, Room 10.' Root muttered. 'wait a minute, room 10?!'

Room 10 was the gym.

Holly's POV

In the cafeteria

'Holly!'

Holly sat up, startled, and looked around. To her relief, it was only Pari, and she settled back down into her seat. Still, she silently scolded herself in her head. How could she have let her guard down?

_It was only for a moment_, a small voice in her head said.

_It only took a moment for those people to kill your mother, didn't it? _

Holly stiffened. It was that voice again. It would never stop hunting her; never stop reminding her of what she had done. Or what she had not done.

'Holly? Holly? Are you even listening to me?'

Holly snapped out of her daze. 'Huh? Oh, sorry Pari. Would you repeat that again?'

Pari sighed. 'I said, there's a new recruit in the LEPrecon unit, and he is such a hunk!'

Holly rolled her eyes. Pari, the boy-crazy elf. She wondered how long this relationship would last. Pari was never serious about relationships. As she had said, 'I'm waiting for my Prince Charming.'

_If only I could have such trust in myself. _Holly thought. _But who would want an elf like me? _

Pari's POV

1hr later

Pari walked back to her room, humming merrily all the way. Her head was filled with thoughts of the new recruit. What was his name? what did he like? Was he nice? Funny? Pari unlocked the door and flopped down on the bed, a dreamy smile on her face.

Artemis Fowl's POV

Artemis paced up and down the room, frustrated. That morning, Pari had left him a message to tell him that Holly had had another nightmare last night. Artemis bit his lip. Why did he care? Captain Short used to be his arch-enemy.

_Used to be._

Somehow, the two of them had fashioned an unlikely, yet strong bond. Whatever it was, she was his friend, and he should care.

Artemis walked over to his table, to the only drawer he kept locked. Reaching into his immaculate suit, he pulled out an intricate key, and unlocked the drawer.

He kept it locked for a good reason.

If his parents even glimpsed the fairy technology in that little drawer, he dared not think of the consequences. Most of it was from that first encounter with the fairies, but some had been given to him by Mulch Diggins. He would often tinker with the minute objects, taking them apart.

This time though, he reached past the guns and the helmets, to pull out a tiny number pad. This was a holophone. It was given to him by Holly, after the plan to mindwipe him was cancelled.

Turing on the voice recognition, Artemis called up Pari's number. He knew that somewhere, a holophone was saying in its clear monotone voice: ' Artemis Fowl the Second Calling.'

After a while, the ringing stopped, and a holographic Pari projected from the phone.

'Hey Arty!'

Artemis scowled. 'Do not call me Arty. My name is Artemis Fowl the Second, heir to...'

Pari cut in. 'Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'm sure you didn't call me to tell me your name and status, did you?'

'You should know. Its about Holly. She's having nightmares again?'

'Yes, Artemis.' She sighed wearily and ran her hair through a tousled head of red hair. Seeing that all-familiar gesture of Holly's, Artemis felt a stab of recognition. Not noticing, Pari continued. 'I don't know what happened. We all thought she had gotten over it. But a few weeks ago, the nightmares started again.'

'Was there anything that could have triggered the memories again?'

'That's the problem. Nothing out of the ordinary happened within that week.' After a moment's hesitation, Pari spoke again.

'Well, nothing that I know of.'

There was an uncomfortable silence as the words were digested.

'Artemis, I'm frightened. I've never seen Holly so... weak. So helpless.'

Artemis froze. Pari had sparked a memory. An unpleasant memory. He swallowed, then slowly opened his mouth to speak.

'I have.'

_Flashback_

'So, Root. What do you need me for? Wait, let me guess. A troll cracked your security codes.' Artemis smirked.

To his surprise, Root did not even try to lash back with a remark, but continued staring at the floor. 'You'll find out when you get there.'

They finally reached the boarding facilities of the LEP. After many confusing rights and lefts through the maze of underground corridors, Rots stopped in front of a door.

Artemis peered at the name on the door. 'Hey, isn't this Captain...'

He stopped, shocked, as Root opened the door. An elf sat on the bed, tears streaming down her face, so thin that she was practically skin and bones.

Holly Short.

No, it couldn't be. This... skeleton could not be Holly Short. But the name on the door, in its shiny platinum lettering, clearly stated that the elf in the room was indeed Captain Holly Short.

Root spoke in a low voice. 'She hasn't been eating for days. We've tried everything.'

'What happened?'

'Her mother was... murdered. Right in front of her.'

Pari's POV

'All recon units, report to the amphitheatre immediately!'

Pari glanced at the holographic projection impatiently. Artemis still wore that troubled look he had when he was thinking. It would not be a good time to interrupt him now. But she had to leave. Now.

'Artemis?'

in an instant, Artemis had snapped out of his daze and looked just as sharp and attentive as ever.

'I have to go now. Meeting. Bye!'

Not giving him a chance to respond, she dropped the holophone, and rushed out of the room.

When she reached the amphitheatre, it was packed. Pari scanned the crowd for Holly.

There she was! And she had saved her a seat too. Pari plastered a smile on her face as she scrambled up to where Holy was sitting.

As she settled down, she contemplated on telling Holly of the conversation she and Artemis had had. Finally, she decided against it.

Root stood in front of the crowd, his face growing redder with each moment. Finally, he gave up.

'SILENCE!'

waha. Donee. Now to post it. And to wait for more reviews! Grin. Soooo... click the review button!!! And review!!! Yay!!! Haha. Sugar high! runs off to look for sugar...


	4. Newbie

Chapter 4

Ha. I am updating as fast as I can... but when I reach the 6th chapter, this will stop, as I have yet to write the 7th chap yet. muses abt having too many writings to do anyway...

Firstly, here's a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my er kor... see? I remembered. grin

Next, reviews!!! I thrive on reviews. More reviews faster updates. Mwaha.

Review answers!!!

WritErKaT322: you like it?? really? Yay!!! Haha thanks for the constructive comments!!! Will keep writing! You just keep reviewing! grin and btw, I think meggie is a nice name.

TrunkZy: ha! Legolas is mineee... gollumy voice mwaha. It DOES mean fairy. I checked a baby book. Forgot what the title was. But it WAS fairy. That's wad caught my eye. Oh well. How come no one likes the POVs? Are they THAT confusing? I didn't think so. Ackk. As for arty's age... eek. Me isn't very sure. Yes, im an evil writer. I'll have to check with my friend laiqualaurelote as to his age in eternity code. Hm. Well, now that his parents are home with him, I reasoned that one of the safest and easiest places he could have kept something like that and retrieve it was in his room. Who knows? Im not an evil genius. Im an evil genius wannabe!!! More reviews more reviews!!! throws reviews around/8

VampirePeaches: haha no not a Holly/Artemis fic... tho I think that's quite interesting and I DID think of writing one such fic... hope you'lll still continue reading!!! And reviewing of course. Grin

cocoaducks: haha no I dun think you're having de'ja'vu. I DID post this chapter before. Read the first chapter A/N. yay read and review!!! And I WILL update... sooner or later... (ok that didn't really help, did it?)

Asha Ice: yes, yes dear... thank you zeggy... lolx. I did? Oh well. Shall change it tomorrow during com studies. shh MUSHROOMS!!! Quoting Merry, Sam and Pippin from FotK, the movie.

Sam: Trust a Brandybuck and a Took.

Merry: What? This was just a detour. A shortcut.

Sam: Shortcut to what?

Pippin: MUSHROOMS!!!

Mwaha. Mushroom soup!!! zeggy starts planning recess, do you not? mushroom SEAFOOD soup. cackles evilly pri sch teacher... root... A&A&A boarding school!!! lolx I dread to see what horrors our dear Laiqualaurelote has decided to inflict on MY Legolas. sighs

Black-eagle77777: my chapters are confusing. Trust me. This is what happens when you read Orson Scott Card, Phillip Pullman and bits of Stephen King. Your fics get slightly disturbing. And confusing. AND WHY DO SO MANY PEOPLE DUN GET THE POVS??? Gr... and yeah, from my pri sch English-and-every-other-subject competitor, gd job is GOOD. Waha. And as for longer chapters... winces well, let's just say that this chapter... ah... you'll find out yourself. Hee.

Ok. reviews donee!! Mwaha. Story nowz... hv funn!!!

"Silence!"

Immediately, the whole amphitheatre was quiet.

"Wow. That's a first." Root muttered.

Vinyaya glared at him. "Let's get to the point." She raised her voice. "Most of you know, or have heard, that we have accepted a new recruit."

Murmurs filled the room. The rumours were true!

Vinyaya cleared her throat. The silence was deafening. Beside her, Root muttered "How does she do that?"

"Ares?" Vinyaya called.

A young sprite, with hazel brown hair and piercing blue eyes stepped into view. "This is the new recruit, Ares. Ares, please give us an introduction of yourself, so we can all get to know you better."

As Ares launched into his speech, Pari could not tear her eyes off him to concentrate on what he was saying. She gazed at him dreamily, watching his every move.

_Ares. _

Holly's POV

A new recruit was always an exiting event. Holly leaned forward in her seat, listening intently.

"Hey Pari, his favourite colour's black too."

"Pari?" Holly waved her hand in front of her friend's face. There was an all-familiar love-struck look on Pari's face. Holly sighed and settled back in her seat. It would be impossible to get Pari's attention when she was in this state.

As Ares continued with his introduction, A/N: rather long, I know. Holly fixed all her attention on him. His alive blue eyes, the way he talked, his captivating smile...

Holly shifted in her seat, a mix of feelings churning within her. She had never felt like this before, and she wasn't sure whether she liked it or not. A small smile escaped on to her face, as she looked at the sprite Ares – who had just unknowingly captured her heart.

Meep. I know that was a very short chapter. SORRRRRRY!!! But my brain is dead, with all the homework and studying. I have it all planned out, but my brain refuses to let the words flow. Sorry!!!!! The next chapter will be much more... what shall I say? Revealing? As in revealing to the plot of the story. Anyway, though it's a short chapter, its still a chapter!!! Review, people!!! Reviews revive my mind. Make me happy!!!! Then I can write! Yay! And that would be good. So review. Persuasive speech. Repeat word again and again. Review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review review. There. Hopefully, you're all brainwashed enough. But just in case... REVIEWW!!! Ok. bye.


	5. Secrets

Chapter 5

Hello everbody! Sorry took such a long time to update... end of years are next week... been mugging... plus had a lot of hw... . but decided to take a break now...

anyway, review answers! I have... 38 reviews. Wow. faints Oh I see why. More pp reviewed all 4 chaps at one go. And my crazy friend Asha Ice reviewed each chapter of mine... 3 times. Anyway...

Kismet: I am SO happy tt u think its good. bounces haha... glad you like it so much! And thanks for giving lots of long long reviews. And yeah, romance! smiles dreamily will review house of assasins tomorrow during com studies, yah? Read kismet's fiction press!! Kismet truths – House of Assasins.

Reicheru: I shall give you BLUE hair dye for your birthday, dearr. And I chose the name ares for a reason. and my fave colour is black! Black!! And don't you go insulting my OCs...

Black-eagle77777: no comments?? wails even dear laiqualaurelote gives comments... and she HATES romance... just that she's a wonderful girl who agrees to review me. beams

VampirePeaches: Thou MUST continue reviewing!!! nods if you're gonna read it then it wont take a minute to review it... beeeeg puppy-dog eyes haha... keep reading and (hopefully) revewing!

R and B fan: whoops. Sry took so long to update... hope you've been waiting patiently, and haven't given up on me yet!! And sry, but your Arty-Holly idea doesn't go with what im planning... but I'll still accept ideas, though I might not use them... thanks for reviewing!

Laiqualaurelote: Lissehonya, I know that my spg is horrible; that you have stressed to me many times over. nods I am going to die now they've added grammar as 5 marks for eng compre. And it's a romance/angst fic, Laiqualaurelote sweet. Thou must expect romance when it's a romance fic. nods ok, here's a chapter im not sure if you've read... Namarie, Laiqualaurelote sweet. Manveri Mirkiello. muahk

Asha Ice: my dear girl, you are really REALLY very bored, are you not? Sigh... you should be studying... bad girl. And chem ROCKS. And asking me to make root fall in love with holly is NOT useful. glares

Hilly: Glad you liked it! keep reviewing, k?

IlikecheeEEEse: Thanks for reviewing, and for all the constructive comments in your reviews!

louise .: hey dearr!!! Thanks for reviewing! Yah, me remembers the globe willow thing... sadistic gal... lolx... I can see that I have a true romance appreciator... beams kaykay. hugs review!!

Shuize: is this you, xixi? Muz be a 113er, from the name sqoosh. And you called me mooshii. XD yesyes read more!!! And then proceed to review!! grins glad you like it!!! give comments? (unlike zeggy's review on how wonderful the little copyright thing in fictionpress is.) haha. Keep reviewing!!

mirror of Galadriel: hello guojun! it IS you, right? haha gj has good farsight... muz be bcuz ur so good at lit... gazes wistfully keep reviewing kayy!

PHEW. Review answers finally done. breathes sigh of relief anyway, after posting this chapter, I shall disappear for the next week. Exams!!! scary scary scary and then the week after is my birthday!!! bounces I think I shall post chapter 6 on my bdae. Then everyone can wish me happy bdae. Haha...

Kaykay... chap 5 – secrets

* * *

A holophone vibrated, breaking the stillness of the night. A slender hand reached out and answered it. A luminous screen sprang up, an all-familiar face portrayed on it, like a living portrait on a canvas.

"Master." The owner of the hand dipped his head in reverence, strands of blond fringe falling over his face.

"My son. How are you adapting to the place?"

"I am settling in just fine, master."

"Very good. Soon, you will carry out what you have been ordered to do. Are you clear about your task?"

The normally clear blue eyes clouded over as the figure reflected on his mission.

"Yes, Master. But..." He hesitated.

"What is it?"

"Is it really necessary?" he asked haltingly. "I mean..."

"Silence! You have already taken the first step. There's no turning back. You know the truth. Here is your chance. Take it!"

The shadow in the room winced, as if the first word had struck him, but slowly regained his composure. His voice barely a whisper, "Yes, master. I am sorry I doubted you."

"Good. Now go, and bear in mind what you have been taught."

The holoscreen disappeared.

* * *

The holophone hit the wall with a thud.

He threw himself on the bed, thoughts running through his mind. Remembering.

Remembering the first time he had seen the Master. He had appeared in the time when he was most needed. When he and his mother had been living in the streets, he appeared. He was the Master, the father who had never been there, offering hope.

Over the years, the Master had trained him, until his wits were as sharp as the ancient daggers hidden all over his body.

He had longed to serve, to repay the Master.

But it was not as he had expected.

* * *

_Flashback_

"You want me to..." He sputtered, shocked and dismayed.

The Master laid a hand on his shoulder. "You have the training. And remember what he did."

"But... Still..." The innocent, helpless face looked up at the Master, pleading for guidance.

"He harmed you. And your family. Doesn't he deserve the same?"

* * *

Yes.

He did.

The once-innocent face hardened, a resolve of steel.

He would get what he deserved.

The firststep had already been taken...

... And there was no turning back.

* * *

Yes.

It was all going perfectly. Soon, he would have his revenge. And he had found the right person to do it. He shook his head and sighed. It was a pity that he had had to manipulate the boy like that. If he was discovered, it would probably mean torture, or death. A young life, extinguished just like that.

Oh well, sacrifices have to be made. it was just one casualty among the hundreds that die in this world of chaos.

A bell rang. Supper.

The Master rose from the chair.

* * *

Waha. I think the title is quite fitting. Lots of secrets here, non? Oh, and for the benefit of all, the first part is from a 3rd person POV, the 2nd is the same scene from the 'mysterious person's' POV, 3rd is flashback, 4th is again mysterious person's POV, and last part is from the Master's POV. And I love POV changes, so forgive me. and I know this is a short chapter. Forgive me. Review! Haha.


	6. Heartstealer

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY ME!!!

Authoress is presently on a hyper mode.

today is authoress' birthday!!

My class got into the finals of drama nite!! Of which I ahem was the av rep. and my dear friend/classmate/mentor/reviewer laiqualaurelote was the female lead. claps enthusiastically

My senior just mentioned tamora pierce!!!!! Oh my gosh!!! Tamora pierce tamora pierce tamora pierce!!!! freaks out faints

Lolx. Anyway, review answers!

Asha Ice: meeps you. Nvr give me helpful reviews... well, at least I should be thankful tt fanfic doesn't hv a copyright thing you can review about rolls eyes and of COURSE you have more reviews. You have 15 chapters. This is my SIXTH. And you are morbid and lame and wu liao, my dear girl. AND YOU OWE ME A PRESENT. MWAHAHAHAHA.

TrunkZy: BUT im POSITIVE that the webby thing said pari meant fairy in Persian. Oh never mind. Not going to change the name anyway. And you're half Persian? THAT'S SO COOOL. And yeahh, you're right about who the mysterious person is... so don't get embarrassed. AND YOU LIKE PARI!! MWAHAHAHAHA. VERY GOOD. If more people start liking pari, I might hv to change my plot. Hm. internal battle must... keep... typing!!!

Cocoaducks: has anyone told you that you have a REALLY REALLY active imagination? Your thinking kinda sounds like mine. But no, that's not the plot, though some pieces here and there were... hmm... some what correct... haha. Keep reviewing!

Black-eagle77777: longer reviews! pleads and glad you like it!

Laiqualaurelote: HAVE I TOLD YOU HOW WONDERFUL YOU WERE IN THE PLAY??? Haha... and thanks lots and lots and lots for the present, lissehondonya. And actually lissehonya sounds like something I would say, non? Nonsense... grin I think I died in EOYS. Bwahh. And hm... I'll work on the segregations thing... but I still like them. wistful look at segregations work hard for drama nite, dear!

Ivy-Jola: yay! Glad you like it!!! hm... I agree its very discouraging to see holly like that... I am presently deciding on whether to let her become even more depressed in the end or to make her her normal self. Hm...

Okay. End of review answers!!! This chapter, there are only... counts 2 POV changes, first Holly, then Pari, then Holly again. Yup. Okayy. Sit back and enjoy!!!

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heartstealer

Paperwork.

This was boring. Holly ran her hands through her hair and sighe. She could never figure out numbers. Ah, to be in the field again, with a nice Neutron blaster in her hand, flying with Mud people clipped to her moon belt. She remembered the last time she had taken that Mud boy, Artemis Fowl, for a ride. She had flown low over shark-infested waters, chuckling as his knuckles turned white and she carefully, slowly pulled his legs up, trying not to let her notice. She still had.

Holly leaned back and relished the thought. Try as she might, she could not think of a single being, fairy or Mud person, who hadn't freaked out when she flew them, helplessly clipped to her moonbelt, over that area.

Suddenly, the memory hit her. Hard. She _had _carried one such person.

Her mother.

Or to be more exact, her body.

Holly bit her lip as memories rushed back. The sharks snapped at air, longing to take away what was left of her mother's body. Her mother's limp body, glassy eyes staring up at her, as each precious drop of fairy blood which dripped from her back to the sea attracted more and more sharks. Each drop of blood had on the way down mingled with a tear, from the streams flowing down her face.

The last bonding of mother and daughter.

As the memories pounded at her, hot tears welled up in her eyes. Anger at those who had killed her mother, and at herself, for being unable to save her. Furious, she pushed back her chair and grabbed a tissue to dry her eyes. For a few moments, she just sat there, bunching and twisting the tissue paper, while trying to calm down.

Looking down, she saw that the tissue had been shredded to pieces. Throwing away the remains of the tissue, she got up and walked to the empty corridor, to the coffee machine. The Mud people may be primitive, but they had great coffee.

She reached into her pocket and swore. "D'Arvit." She had forgotten to bring her wallet. What had gotten into her, these days? She turned around to return to her table, and ended up staring into a pair of clear blue eyes.

"Here, my treat." Ares reached over her shoulder and fed the machine a quarter.

Holly thankfully accepted the warm cup and took a sip, feeling the caffeine course through her veins. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Ares with growing curiousity. The sprite had only been here a week or so, and yet she had bumped into him a surprising number of times. It seemed like he was everywhere. The maze of corridors, the cafeteria, the library, the magma chutes; everywhere she went, he popped up.

At first, it had been uncomfortable; it still was. But still, she never tired of seeing him, his bright cheerful face always brightened her day. Maybe she had an admirer. At this thought, Holly giggled, and choked on a mouthful of the sweet drink.

She sputtered and started to cough violently. Almost immediately, she felt a pair of hands pat her back, and a soothing voice telling her to calm down.

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Pari's POV

Pari yawned as she padded down the corridor. She could not get to sleep, and knew that Holly would be somewhere around, as she said she was working a night shift. Suddenly, Pari heard a fairy coughing violently and hurried around the corner, only to see Ares patting Holly's back as she recovered from her coughing fit. Feeling a twinge of jealousy, she suppressed it and dashed forward to help Holly.

"Holly! Are you alright?" Anxiously, she stroked her friend's back. Holly straightened and took a deep breath.

"Yeah, I'm alright. No need to worry. Just choked on my coffee, that's all."

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Holly's POV

"Guess I should be going then." That was Ares. He threw his cup away and prepared to leave.

"Thanks." Inreply, Ares flashed a smile which melted her all the way, before walking off.

Holly turned to Pari. "Thanks too. I thought you went to sleep already?"

Pari shrugged. "Couldn't get to sleep. So, what happened just now?" She grinned mischievously.

In spite of herself, Holly felt her face turning pink, and was glad for the dim lighting. "Oh, nothing. He bought me a coffee, that's all."

Pari raised an eyebrow. "Right. Come on, tell me. do you like him?"

"What?! No way! You...You're the boy-crazy one, not me!" Holly felt her face glowing crimson, and quickly steered her friend towards her room.

"You said so. That means he's free to me!" Pari's voice was light, and Holly rolled her eyes at her friend's flirtatious tone.

"Yes, yes, take him. Now go to sleep."

Holly turned back to her table to shut down, leaving Pari in her room.

_Trying to ignore the tingling up and down her spine._

_And failing._

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So? How was it? Review me!!! treat it as a birthday present! Haha... PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSEE??? Haha... okay. Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...


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